title: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a preliminary study of the correlations between quantitative parameters and clinical stage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between quantitative parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and clinical stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one newly diagnosed NPC patients received MRI examination on Philips Achieva 3.0 Tesla TX MR system. We used DCE-Tool (Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) to investigate parameters from primary tumors. Tumor/node/metastasis and corresponding clinical stages were determined based on 2009 UICC 7th edition. The correlations between quantitative parameters and clinical stage were correlated using Pearson correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean K(trans) , Kep , ve , and vp for primary tumors were 0.500 ± 0.188/min, 0.744 ± 0.273/min, 0.986 ± 0.595, and 0.052 ± 0.071, respectively. Both K(trans) and Kep of tumors showed moderate negative correlation with clinical stage, T stage and N stage (P < 0.05), while ve showed moderate positive correlation with them (P < 0.05). vp revealed a moderate negative correlation with T stage (r = -0.369; P < 0.004). Kep and ve have significant differences between many early and advanced stages patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DCE-MRI is feasible to assess vascular permeability of NPC patients. Our results first revealed that the quantitative parameters were significantly related to clinical stage of NPC. Thus, DCE-MRI may be valuable to add noninvasive prognostic indicators in evaluating NPC.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Education School of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dechun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yunbin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Luying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Weibo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yiqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Zhongshi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Queenie
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: DCE-MRI; clinical staging; hypoxia; nasopharyngeal carcinoma